Fisheye Consistency: Keeping Data in Synch in a Georeplicated World

Over the last thirty years, numerous consistency conditions for replicated data have been proposed and implemented. Popular examples of such conditions include linearizability (or atomicity), sequential consistency, causal consistency, and eventual consistency. These consistency conditions are usually defined independently from the computing entities (nodes) that manipulate the replicated data; i.e., they do not take into account how computing entities might be linked to one another, or geographically distributed. To address this lack, as a first contribution, this paper introduces the notion of proximity graph between computing nodes. If two nodes are connected in this graph, their operations must satisfy a strong consistency condition, while the operations invoked by other nodes are allowed to satisfy a weaker condition. The second contribution is the use of such a graph to provide a generic approach to the hybridization of data consistency conditions into the same system. We illustrate this approach on sequential consistency and causal consistency, and present a model in which all data operations are causally consistent, while operations by neighboring processes in the proximity graph are sequentially consistent. The third contribution of the paper is the design and the proof of a distributed algorithm based on this proximity graph, which combines sequential consistency and causal consistency (the resulting condition is called fisheye consistency). In doing so the paper not only extends the domain of consistency conditions, but provides a generic provably correct solution of direct relevance to modern georeplicated systems

Birth registration and children's rights: a complex story

Birth registration is a fundamental right of all children and a basic function of all modern governments. So, given the extensive anticipated benefits of birth registration, there has been increasing interest from development organisations in implementing programmes on birth registration in countries with low rates of registration.But there is a significant lack of empirical research that explores the effects of birth registration, and if and how it benefits children in practice.Plan’s new research in India, Kenya, Sierra Leone and Vietnam reveals the results of an investigation into the impact of birth registration. What emerges is a complex picture of the interrelationship between children’s rights and birth registration. As a result, the report makes a series of important recommendations for governments and development partners

Statin associated necrotizing autoimmune myopathies in the Indigenous population: a case series from North Queensland

Aim: To describe clinical and histopathological features of statin associated necrotizing autoimmune myopathies (NAM) in Indigenous Australians and increase awareness of this condition amongst treating physicians. Methods: Cases were collected through the Rheumatology Department at The Townsville Hospital between March 2012 and January 2015. A chart review was performed to obtain retrospective information about each case. We detail patient demographics, presenting features, histopathological findings, autoimmune profile, treatment and outcomes. Results: 4 Indigenous Australians were identified as having a biopsy confirmed statin associated NAM. All patients had been on atorvastatin for at least 2 years and had significant proximal weakness with average CK level on presentation 16,820 U/L. Predisposing factors for myopathy included vitamin D deficiency and diabetes mellitus (all cases), with primary hypothyroidism and liver cirrhosis identified in two other cases. Two individuals were positive for the auto-antibody anti-HMGCR. Histopathological findings included muscle necrosis with varying degrees of inflammation, membrane attack complex (MAC) deposition and MHC-1 upregulation. Treatment involved various combinations of prednisolone, IVIG, methotrexate and mycophenolate. Recovery was slow but favourable in all cases with an average length of inpatient stay of 54 days. There was a significant delay in diagnosis of 1–3 months in two of the cases. Conclusions: The statin associated necrotizing autoimmune myopathies are rare but important disorders that cause significant morbidity to affected individuals. Given the prevalence of cardiovascular disease in Indigenous Australians, further research is required to facilitate earlier diagnosis and improved treatment outcomes

FORMULATION OF SUSTAINABLE AGRO FORESTRY MODELS FOR NORTH CENTRAL DRY ZONE OF SRI LANKA

Increase of human population and clearing of forests for their requirements has been alocal as well as global environmental crisis. In Sri Lanka, forest cover has dwindled at analarming rate from 70% in 1990 to 22% as of present. Deforestation and degradation ofland due to many reasons including poverty related land management practices such asshifting cultivation and forest encroachments, conversion of forest estate to other moreeconomically profitable land uses are some of the reasons for the loss of forest. agroforestryhas been identified all over the world as an appropriate alternative which providessustainabilityAccording to the Forestry Sector master Plan (1995) the necessity of utilizing the sparsely·used scrub lands for agroforestry ventures to improve the tree cover and socio-economicstatus of the people has been identified. Forest Department too in its Participatory ForestryProject has ventured into establishment of farmers woodlots with the active participation ofcommunities and this programme is wide spread in many parts of the country especially inthe dry zone. However, the composition of these farmers woodlots still not complete toincorporate diversity and sustainability. Therefore, the objective of this present study is toformulate sustainable tree-crop models for a wide range of land classes in the north centraldry zone of Sri LankaIpalogama divisional Secretariat in Anuradhapura District was identified for the study.Field studies were done in handsomely selected 3 traditional tank based villages namelySangattewa, Puliyankulama and Dampeleassagama . Information was gathered through aquestionnaire survey, field visits and personnel interviews with villagers. Randomelyselected 44 households or 14.8% of the total households in the 3 villages were subjected tothe survey. The species composition and vertical and horizontal diversity, lightrequirements, multiple uses, financial returns/ha, prevalence of local/indigenous treespecies and farmer's choice were taken into consideration in the formulation of theagroforestry models for the various land classes sampled egoAlluvial plains, middle slopesand upper slopes etc.

Statin associated necrotizing autoimmune myopathies in the Indigenous population: a case series from North Queensland

Aim: To describe clinical and histopathological features of statin associated necrotizing autoimmune myopathies (NAM) in Indigenous Australians and increase awareness of this condition amongst treating physicians. Methods: Cases were collected through the Rheumatology Department at The Townsville Hospital between March 2012 and January 2015. A chart review was performed to obtain retrospective information about each case. We detail patient demographics, presenting features, histopathological findings, autoimmune profile, treatment and outcomes. Results: 4 Indigenous Australians were identified as having a biopsy confirmed statin associated NAM. All patients had been on atorvastatin for at least 2 years and had significant proximal weakness with average CK level on presentation 16,820 U/L. Predisposing factors for myopathy included vitamin D deficiency and diabetes mellitus (all cases), with primary hypothyroidism and liver cirrhosis identified in two other cases. Two individuals were positive for the auto-antibody anti-HMGCR. Histopathological findings included muscle necrosis with varying degrees of inflammation, membrane attack complex (MAC) deposition and MHC-1 upregulation. Treatment involved various combinations of prednisolone, IVIG, methotrexate and mycophenolate. Recovery was slow but favourable in all cases with an average length of inpatient stay of 54 days. There was a significant delay in diagnosis of 1–3 months in two of the cases. Conclusions: The statin associated necrotizing autoimmune myopathies are rare but important disorders that cause significant morbidity to affected individuals. Given the prevalence of cardiovascular disease in Indigenous Australians, further research is required to facilitate earlier diagnosis and improved treatment outcomes

Building cloud applications for challenged networks

Cloud computing has seen vast advancements and uptake in many parts of the world. However, many of the design patterns and deployment models are not very suitable for locations with challenged networks such as countries with no nearby datacenters. This paper describes the problem and discusses the options available for such locations, focusing specifically on community clouds as a short-term solution. The paper highlights the impact of recent trends in the development of cloud applications and how changing these could better help deployment in challenged networks. The paper also outlines the consequent challenges in bridging different cloud deployments, also known as cross-cloud computing

Fluconazole resistance in Candida albicans is induced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa quorum sensing

Microorganisms employ quorum sensing (QS) mechanisms to communicate with each other within microbial ecosystems. Emerging evidence suggests that intraspecies and interspecies QS plays an important role in antimicrobial resistance in microbial communities. However, the relationship between interkingdom QS and antimicrobial resistance is largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that interkingdom QS interactions between a bacterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and a yeast, Candida albicans, induce the resistance of the latter to a widely used antifungal fluconazole. Phenotypic, transcriptomic, and proteomic analyses reveal that P. aeruginosa’s main QS molecule, N-(3-Oxododecanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone, induces candidal resistance to fluconazole by reversing the antifungal’s effect on the ergosterol biosynthesis pathway. Accessory resistance mechanisms including upregulation of C. albicans drug-efflux, regulation of oxidative stress response, and maintenance of cell membrane integrity, further confirm this phenomenon. These findings demonstrate that P. aeruginosa QS molecules may confer protection to neighboring yeasts against azoles, in turn strengthening their co-existence in hostile polymicrobial infection sites

CamAPS FX hybrid closed-loop with ultra-rapid lispro compared with standard lispro in adults with type 1 diabetes: a double-blind, randomized, crossover study.

INTRODUCTION To evaluate hybrid closed-loop with ultra-rapid insulin lispro (Lyumjev) compared with hybrid closed-loop with standard insulin lispro in adults with type 1 diabetes. MATERIALS AND METHODS In a single-center, double-blind, randomized, crossover study, 28 adults with type 1 diabetes (mean±SD: age 44.5±10.7, HbA1c 7.1±0.9% [54±10mmol/mol]) underwent two 8-week periods comparing hybrid closed-loop with ultra-rapid insulin lispro and hybrid closed-loop with standard insulin lispro in random order. CamAPS FX closed-loop system was used in both periods. RESULTS In an intention-to-treat analysis, the proportion of time sensor glucose was in target range (3.9 to 10mmol/L; primary endpoint) was greater with ultra-rapid lispro compared with standard insulin lispro (mean±SD: 78.7±9.8% vs. 76.2±9.6%; mean difference 2.5 percentage points [95%CI 0.8 to 4.2]; p=0.005). Mean sensor glucose was lower with ultra-rapid lispro compared with standard insulin lispro (7.9±0.8mmol/L vs. 8.1±0.9mmol/L; p=0.048). The proportion of time with sensor glucose <3.9mmol/L was similar between interventions (median [IQR] ultra-rapid lispro 2.3% [1.3-2.7%] vs. standard insulin lispro 2.1% [1.4-3.3%]; p=0.33). No severe hypoglycemia or ketoacidosis occurred. CONCLUSIONS The use of ultra-rapid lispro with CamAPS FX hybrid closed-loop increases time in range and reduces mean glucose with no difference in hypoglycemia compared with standard insulin lispro in adults with type 1 diabetes

Determinants of Change in Physical Activity in Children 0-6 years of Age: A Systematic Review of Quantitative Literature.

Background Understanding the determinants of children’s health behaviours is important to develop successful behaviour-change interventions. Objective We aimed to synthesise the evidence around determinants (‘preceding predictors’) of change in physical activity (PA) in young children (0–6 years of age). Methods As part of a suite of reviews, prospective quantitative studies investigating change in physical activity in children aged 0–6 years were identified from eight databases (to October 2015): MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Knowledge, British Nursing Index, Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts, and Sociological Abstracts. Determinants and direction of association were extracted, described and synthesised according to the socio-ecological model (individual, interpersonal, organisational, community, policy). Results Forty-four determinants, predominantly in the interpersonal and organisational domains, were reported across 44 papers (six prospective cohort, 38 interventional); 14 determinants were assessed in four or more papers. Parental monitoring showed a consistent positive association with change in PA; provider training was positively associated with change in children’s moderate-to-vigorous PA only. Five (sex, parental goal setting, social support, motor skill training and increased time for PA) showed no clear association. A further seven (child knowledge, parental knowledge, parental motivation, parenting skills, parental self-efficacy, curriculum materials and portable equipment) were consistently not associated with change in children’s PA. Maternal role-modelling was positively associated with change in PA in all three studies in which it was examined. Conclusions A range of studied determinants of change in young children’s PA were identified, but only parental monitoring was found to be consistently positively associated. More evidence dealing with community and policy domains from low-/middle-income countries and about lesser-explored modifiable family- and childcare-related determinants is required. International Prospective Register for Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) Registration Number CRD42012002881. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s40279-016-0656-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users